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Le Yantra, Spine & Sports Injury Clinic

Symptom, several possible causes

Heel Pain

heel pain

Several different causes, told apart mostly by where and when it hurts.

No referral needed · One-to-one throughout · Treated at both clinics

An older person pressing a thumb into the side of the heel of a bare foot on a wooden floor, the heel highlighted in orange.

Draft, not published

This page has its structure, its confirmed facts and its place in the navigation, but the clinical copy is not written. It carries noindex and stays out of the sitemap until a clinician writes and signs off the content. Nothing here is invented to fill the gap.

Blocked until answered:

  • No opening "what it is" answer in the source copy. docs/05-seo-spec.md requires a front-loaded direct answer on every condition page, and this symptom page opens straight into its causes list. It needs writing, and nothing has been invented in its place.

What causes it, and where to go next

Pain under the heel, worst on the first steps of the morning. Most likely Plantar Fasciitis, the commonest cause of heel pain by a distance.

Pain at the back of the heel, at the Achilles insertion. See Achilles Tendinopathy. Often worse with uphill walking or wearing a rigid heel counter.

Pain around the sides of the heel, worse with impact. May be a fat pad problem or, after a sudden increase in load, a bone stress reaction. The latter needs assessing rather than working through.

Burning, tingling or numbness in the heel. Suggests nerve involvement rather than a tissue-loading problem. Assessment needed.

Heel pain in a child or adolescent. Often a growth-plate related condition. Different from adult heel pain and managed differently.

When to seek medical care

Seek medical assessment for:

  • Heel pain following a fall from height
  • Pain you cannot bear weight on
  • A heel that is hot, red and swollen with fever

How we treat it

Assessment establishes which of the above applies, and the distinction determines everything. Treatment then follows the specific cause.

How long it takes

Depends entirely on the cause. Bone stress problems need protected time. Tissue loading problems take months. Nerve-related pain varies.

Treatments we commonly use

Which of these applies to you is decided at your assessment, not before it.

Frequently asked questions

Is all heel pain plantar fasciitis?

No, though it is the commonest cause. The others are treated differently, which is why the distinction matters.

Why is it worst in the morning?

That specific pattern points strongly to plantar fasciitis. Tissue tightens overnight and the first loading of the day is the most provocative.

Can I keep exercising?

Usually something, often not everything. What is safe depends on the cause.

  • Plantar Fasciitis

    The commonest cause of heel pain. A tissue-loading problem, which is why it responds to loading rather than to rest.

  • Achilles Tendinopathy

    Pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon. Mid-portion and insertional behave differently, and the distinction changes the programme.

  • Ankle Sprain

    A ligament injury that heals faster than the balance and control it takes away. That gap is why sprains recur.

Find us

Treated at both clinics

Every service runs at both our clinics, Malleshwaram and MEI Layout, monday – saturday 9 am – 9 pm · sunday & public holidays 10 am – 5 pm.

Your wellness starts here

Book an assessment at either clinic

Every treatment plan at Le Yantra starts with a full assessment, not a standard protocol.

Monday – Saturday 9 AM – 9 PM · Sunday & public holidays 10 AM – 5 PM

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